Crippled
by Pikazoom
Summary: Life suddenly turns upside-down for Yami. Can he handle it? SetoYami AU.
1. Accident

A/N: I'm doing an oekaki and this idea just pops right into my head! It's like my muses are acutally encouraging shounen-ai...  
  
Yugi/Yami: NEVER!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: O_o...hmm...must be my strange imagination then...  
  
Yami: duh. I'd never put myself with...Seto *shudder*  
  
Pikazoom: *thinking* homophobes -_-  
  
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH!!!! WAIIIII!!! *runs away crying*  
  
Random Quote: FINALS ARE COMING!!! FINALS ARE COMING!!! AHHHH!!!!  
  
And finally: I am not making fun of the disabled. I assure you. I respect everyone! ^_^  
  
Crippled  
  
It was a bright and sunny day in Domino. Students from the prestigious Domino High were quickly filing out, eager to go to the mall and arcade. A tri-colored hair boy stepped out, and breathed in the crisp spring air. He reopened his brilliant crimson eyes and headed for home.   
  
"Yami!" The boy stopped at the call of his name. It was a rather strange name, meaning 'Darkness' and all, but his mother was never very sane before she died.  
  
"Yami wait for me!" A brunette girl with blue eyes came bounding toward him.  
  
"Hey Anzu," Yami said. Anzu Mazaki. A year younger than Yami, and a popular girl in school with an obvious infatuation for the most popular student, Yami Mutou. However, Yami was a naive guy when it came to romance and couldn't see it.  
  
"I'm going to the library! Wanna come?" she asked enthusiastically...maybe a little too enthusiastically...  
  
"No thanks. I have to help Jiichan (Grandpa) at the shop today," was the calm reply.  
  
"Oh," her happy tone dropped. "Okay then. See you later Yami." And she sulked along to the library.  
  
THUNK! Yami quickly looked to his right toward the sound. A bunch of rich snobs had tripped a guy. He had short brown hair and a pair of thick round glasses. It was Seto Kaiba. He was very unsocial, but he was a genius. He looked like a nerd, and he had test grades like a nerd, so people gave him the name 'brains boy.' He was picked on by the rich kids all the time. However, Seto seemed to be a pacifist and never fought back. He just stayed amazingly silent. If he didn't answer teacher's questions, they would've sworn he was mute.  
  
The clink of Seto's thick-rimmed glasses stopped near Yami's leather boots. The crimson-eyed boy felt sorry for him being picked on all the time...he sometimes wondered what it would be like. "Here you go," Yami crouched and told the boy on the ground. The taller of the two grabbed his glasses and put them on as quickly as possible. In just a quick second, Yami saw that he was very handsome, but there was a scratch on his cheek from the fall that marred his face.  
  
"Thank you," Seto mumbled softly before gathering his books off the ground and leaving. Yami stood up and followed him slowly. The two lived near each other, and they both walked home so they saw each other but never talked.  
  
The walk home was long and quiet. The streets they ambled by were usually deserted. Yami felt something inside of him. He just wanted to run up to Seto and pull off those nerd spectacles of his. That handsome face with Seto's stern expression set off some kind of small spark in Yami. He yearned to see it again.  
  
His train of thought was cut off by the screech of tires. A sleek, black convertible rounded quickly around the corner. Yami had no time to think as the car hit him, and the world went black.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Yami slowly opened his crimson eyes. Where was he? He looked around. It was obviously a hospital. The pristine white walls, the needles, his heart monitor, etc. He relaxed and closed his eyes glad to be alive...but something felt off. The tri-colored hair boy opened his eyes and frowned. What felt wrong?  
  
He looked around to find what irked him, but it was forgotten as he saw HIM. Seto Kaiba. Sleeping in a chair right next to his white bed. The boy's head was tilted back with his mouth open slightly. His glasses were still on. Yami frowned again and reached over to pluck them off when he felt himself being restrained. He turned back to a flat position and glared at whatever held him back. His left leg was in a cast, and so was his left arm...no wonder it felt so warm and itchy.   
  
The crimson-eyed boy was beginning to become uncomfortable. He shifted around and stopped with a jerk. Yami suddenly thought he knew what was off. "No...no..." his voice trailed off in disbelief. He threw off the blanket and...  
  
"..." Yami's eyes widened painfully. His hands flew to his mouth. He felt like he was going to hurl. His right leg was...amputated at the knee...  
  
"No...No...NO!!!" he clutched at his head and shook it. No way this way happening! Yami looked again through tear-filled eyes. "NO!!!" he screamed again, thrashing and screaming. His heart monitor sped up and gave off a signal.   
  
Suddenly, Yami felt a hand clench tightly around his right wrist. He opened his eyes and looked out with blurry vision.  
  
"Don't do that. You'll make your left leg worse," Seto said sternly yet gently. Yami stopped imediately and stared at the brunette. Despite the situation, he couldn't help but think Seto's voice was soothing and sounded lovely in that tone.   
  
Yami hiccuped. He broke down again. His leg was still gone, no matter what Seto said. Seto pulled him into a hug and let him cry into his Domino High uniform. Yami clutched Seto's arm and bawled into his chest.  
  
The nurses ran in as fast as possible but screeched to a halt as they saw the two together. It seemed the situation was under control...his heart rate was back to normal at least.  
  
One of the nurses walked over to a pile of slumbering people. She awoke a short old man with an orange bandanna. "Sir? Your grandson is awake," she informed him. With a huge gust of wind, he was up and gone.  
  
"YAMI!!!! Are you okay grandson?!" Sugoroku Mutou came barrelling into the room. He jerked to a stop. A brunette boy acknowledged his presence by turning his head toward the man. The boy was rubbing Yami's back sympathetically.  
  
"Jiichan..." Yami said softly, letting go of the cobalt-eyed boy.  
  
"Are you alright?" Sugoroku asked again, hovering over him. Yami's tear-filled eyes looked away sadly. Sugoroku frowned. Maybe right now isn't the best time to talk to Yami. 'The poor boy must be shaken up,' Sugoroku thought. The grandfather redirected his attention to the brunette.  
  
"Thank you for saving my grandson. If you hadn't been there to call 911 Yami wouldn't be here right now," Sugoroku bowed graciously. The reply was a slow nod.  
  
"What is your name, sonny?"  
  
The boy held out his hand in proper etiquette. "Seto Kaiba, sir," was the soft reply.  
  
"Jiichan! Why didn't you wake me up when they said Yami was awake?!" a Yami look-a-like bound into the room.  
  
Yugi Mutou. A little more than a year younger than his elder half-brother. He could be Yami's twin. Yami's mother died only a few weeks after her son's proud birth. Their father went off and was drowned in sorrow until he met Yugi's mother. They were married, and they had little Yugi. A couple years later, their father died, and Yugi's mother gathered up the children to move in with her father-in-law, Sugoroku.  
  
"I'm sorry Yugi. I was just worried about my other favorite grandson," he said, patting the smaller boy on the head.  
  
The chibi version of Yami crawled up onto the hospital bed. "Are you okay, Niisan (big brother)?" A pair of purple eyes looked at him with concern.   
  
"I'm okay, I guess," he lied in response.  
  
"Niisama? (big brother, sama suffix is more honorable than san)" Another voice came from the hallway. Seto walked over to the short black-haired kid.  
  
"Did you need something, Mokuba?" he asked.  
  
Mokuba shook his head "No. Just wanted to see if you were okay." The small boy yawned, and Seto led him over to the chair to go back to sleep.  
  
A nurse walked in. "Well, it seems we have quite a crowd in here," she said. "This patient is...Yami Mutou? The doctor says you can check out tonight. You had a good recovery."  
  
"Jiichan? How's is Niisan going to get around at school?" Yugi asked curiously.  
  
"I suppose you'll have to push him around in a wheelchair, little Yugi. Would you mind?" Jiichan asked. Yugi shooked his head.  
  
"Demo...I have my own friends..." Yami protested quietly.  
  
"I can do it. I'm in the same grade as Yami," Seto offered almost inaudibly. Yami was amazed at the amount of words that Seto had spoken today. He noticed that the brunette "forgot" to mention that the closest person that came to a friend of his was Ryou Bakura, another silent of the school, but he was in Yugi's grade.   
  
"Would you mind?" Sugoroku asked again, only to Seto this time. Seto nodded and picked up Mokuba.  
  
"We should get home. I'll pick Yami up on Monday at 7:00," he stated and left.  
  
'Why so early? School starts at eight...' Yami thought silently. 'Boy, I wonder how my friends will react...'  
  
A/N: Boy indeed. Tune in for the next chapter! Please review too!  
  
Yami: NO DON'T!!!  
  
For those that read the bottom PREVIEW OF NEXT CHAPTER: How ARE his friends going to react? Also, maybe we'll find out more about Seto and his silent demeanor. ;) The angst is just starting, so stay tuned!  
  
About my other fics: Writer's block. Trying REAL REAL hard. 


	2. Mystery

A/N: Wow...so many reviews! I'm so touched! I usually get only one on my first chappie XD  
  
Yami/Yugi: How could you guys? Reading her junk!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: *whacks them* My muses don't do very much except COMPLAIN. *glare*  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: *gives both of them chibi Seto plushies* Wicked Witch of the North? No.that wasn't planned.hehe  
  
Demented Yami: *gives Demented a chibi Seto plushie* Ra has no need to command me! ^_^ I'm continuing!  
  
Animefan: *hands her a chibi Seto plushie* Thanks for the manga. However, my muses passed out from nosebleeds after the third page. -_-  
  
Adrie: *hands her a chibi Seto plushie* Adorable? Thank you :)  
  
Blue September: Dun worry! I will make sure he doesn't forget so soon. ;) *hands her a chibi Seto plushie*  
  
George the Stalker: *hands him a chibi Seto plushie* It will have a happy ending. Dun worry ;)  
  
Crippled Chapter 2: Mystery  
  
Seto did come at 7:00. Much too early for Yami's liking, and he displayed it when by taking his time getting ready. Besides having only one useful limb at the moment, he didn't want to go to school...he looked so...strange without the rest of his right leg. It always scared him when he glanced at his disability.  
  
Yami sat there on his bed. How was he going to get into his wheelchair? He had only one arm to push himself over with, and he didn't want to disturb Jiichan or Yugi. Yami pulled the contraption closer with his cast leg, and then pushed off the bed. Yami missed and hit the ground in serious pain. His winced and cursed as crystal tears appeared in his eyes from pain and frustration. Darn this predicament of his!  
  
Suddenly, the reality that he would be in this situation for the next few recovery months or so hit him, and he sobbed into the dark blue carpet. His tears stopped as he felt a pair of strong arms pick him up.  
  
"S-Seto!" Yami gasped out. A blush crept up to his face...he actually let Seto see him in one of his weakest moments!  
  
Seto placed Yami gently into the metal movable chair and slowly wheeled him out. Yami yelled a quick goodbye to Jiichan and Yugi before he was pushed out of the door.  
  
"Hey Yami!" a raven-haired child exclaimed, bouncing around as if on a sugar high.  
  
"H-hey Mokuba. What are you doing here?" Yami replied. Mokuba was here too? Yami hoped his eyes weren't puffy and red.  
  
The child laughed. "Niisama takes me to school every morning!" That's why they left so early! It was to get Mokuba to school! Yami almost laughed at his stupidity.  
  
The walk to Mokuba's school was a rather quiet one. Seto didn't say much, and Yami supposed Mokuba was used it by now. Before he knew it, Mokuba had been dropped off, leaving Yami to stare dead ahead with Seto pushing him along.  
  
"So, how come your parents don't take Mokuba to school?" Yami asked. Seto certainly must get up early!  
  
Seto coughed. "I...none," was all Yami caught. He turned his head as far around as he could and attempted to give Seto a confused look. "I have no parents," Seto stated.  
  
Yami whirled his head around back to the front. How insensitive he must be! The crimson-eyed boy mentally hit/whacked/pounded/beat himself and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked..."  
  
"...It's fine."  
  
The sound of wheels crushing gravel was the reigning sound until they came to the school gate. Yami breathed in deeply. Here they were. He considered asking Seto to take him back to the shop or just leave him in a place where he couldn't be seen.  
  
"Ready?" Seto asked, as if he understood perfectly what Yami was thinking. Yami gave a long, slow nod.  
  
Yami unconciously held his breath as Seto pushed him foward. He ducked his head as they went through the entrance. He could hear everyone gasp, feel everyone point and stare. Then, the whispers started.  
  
"Hey, look at that...his right leg isn't there..."  
  
"Whoa...that's just way too creepy."  
  
"He looks so strange..."  
  
"He doesn't look so great now."  
  
"Hah. Bet he won't be Mr. Popular from now on. He better get off his high horse cause he ain't a 'hottie' anymore," a random guy said, mimicking what the girls always said about Yami. The words stung. His friends wouldn't really desert him just because he was different...would they? And, was he really 'on a high horse?' He'd always tried to be nice...  
  
"Ignore it, Yami. They always says bad things like that," Seto said, expressionless. It wasn't THAT simple. How does a guy get used to taunting?  
  
"Hey guys! Whatcha all talking abou-EEEEE!" Anzu rushed up excitedly, then screamed at the sight of Yami.  
  
"Hi Anzu..." Yami said. Anzu would accept him, right? They'd always talked before...all the time!  
  
"Y-y-yami...YOUR LEG IS MISSING!!!" the brunette girl screeched. If anyone didn't know beforehand, they certainly knew now! Yami almost groaned at the thought.  
  
"Yeah...I got into an accident on Friday," the disabled boy explained. He winced mentally as the cruel reality hit him once more.  
  
"But...you'll get a new leg, right?!" she asked in hysterics.  
  
"I don't think they grow back, Anzu."  
  
"..."  
  
"What's wrong?" Yami asked, his confidence of acceptance fading away.  
  
"I'm sorry Yami, but you're a...you're a FREAK!" she screamed again and ran away. I mean, Yami was a nice guy, but she wanted a nice body too.  
  
A fit of giggles started through the long hallway at Yami's new nickname. Apparently, his character was forgotten, and all that remained was a hideously deformed body. Yami could feel the tears stinging...his "friends" really were all shallow...  
  
Yami didn't even care when the wheelchair began to move again. He sniffled and tried to hold back his embarassing tears. Suddenly, the crimson-eyed boy found himself in the boy's bathroom. He tried to wipe away the salty tears with the back of his hands, but more kept coming.  
  
"Just cry it all out," Seto told him. Yami turned to his left where Seto was watching him and sobbed into Seto's uniform like at the hospital. Seto patted the boy's back sympathetically and peered at him through his thick- rimmed glasses. It wasn't easy to be hated or mocked, especially if it happens so suddenly.  
  
A bell rang through the halls and carried the sound into the boy's lavatory. It was warning that class would start in ten minutes.  
  
"It's time to go Yami," Seto stated. Yami released his hold from the cobalt-eyed boy and nodded. He realized he'd just gone and cried in front of Seto again, and a crimson that matched his eyes tinted his pale and wet face.  
  
When Yami's face was dry, the brunette boy wheeled him out toward their homeroom. Seto had called the principal and his schedule was switched around to all of Yami's classes.  
  
The first half of school passed by slowly for Yami. He could feel everyone, including teachers, give him looks. Some were of pity, but most were of disbelief and taunting. No teacher would call on him class, and no person wanted to sit by him. And to think, it was all because he...looked different. Seto began to wheel Yami out to the cafeteria after their English class.  
  
Seto walked away for a second to get their lunches, when a shadow loomed over the gloomy Yami. The tri-colored hair boy looked up in curiousity when the darkness didn't move. It was Yamaki Uchida, the school bully. He'd had a bad reputation...in all five schools he'd been in within the last two years. Even teachers were afraid of him.  
  
"Hey 'Mr. Popular,'" he mocked. "Where's your friends? Well, it seems like your all alone...oh, and crippled too...all defenseless. Why don't you hand over your lunch money, and I won't pound your face in, okay?"  
  
Yami looked down in defeat and began to dig out his wallet, which would have actually been for tomorrow because he'd given Seto his money for today, when Seto's shoes appeared next to his chair. The brunette dropped a bunch of yen into Uchida's hands and said simply, "Here. You can have mine."  
  
The bully burst out laughing before leaving telling him, "Thanks loser!"  
  
Seto dropped down in a seat next to Yami and handed the crimson-eyed boy his lunch. Ryou Bakura from the lower grade plopped down next to him quietly.  
  
"Neeee Seto, don't you want any food? You can have mine if you want," the snow-haired boy offered politely.  
  
"No wait. He should have mine because its my fault," Yami cut in.  
  
"I'll be fine," he said silently, pulling out a measly bag of apple slices and eating them.  
  
"Are you su-"  
  
"I'm fine," Seto interrupted, continuing to munch on his fruit. "After all, it wouldn't be fair. Your lunch money DID pay for YOUR lunch," he stated. Yami frowned, but began to eat anyway. Ryou followed suit.  
  
Time passed quickly, and Yami suddenly found himself in PE. He sat near the brown bleachers, watching everyone playing, or getting creamed, in dodgeball. Seto stood close to him to make sure Yami wasn't hit. No one really aimed at Yami, but Seto got whacked a lot.  
  
Yami raised an eyebrow as a girl, who had been chatting with her friends, pranced up to one of her teammates and whispered into his ear, pointing toward Yami. The two snickered, and he winced. Before he could think, the guy picked up the red ball and flung it at him when the teacher wasn't paying attention.  
  
"Eh?!" Yami shielded himself with his one arm, but an impact never came.  
  
"I believe you're out, Rama," Seto's voice said in a dead serious tone. Yami looked up at him. Not only had the brunette caught Rama's ball, but he was glaring at him through his glasses.  
  
'No way...he caught the ball? Then how come he kept getting beamed everytime the ball went toward him? Maybe there's more to Seto than he lets on...' Yami thought in wonder.  
  
The slow amble home afterschool was well...lethargic...Yami just wanted to go home and curse his misfortune. Just because of his leg he lost all his friends! Well...at least he met Seto...  
  
Seto...Seto was more or less a mystery. He was usually a pacifist with an expressionless face...but during PE...he showed clear anger and distaste. Not to mention he caught a ball after being beamed tons of times. Yami got the feeling it wasn't just luck the ball flew into his hand. And those glasses. Behind them was perfection, so how come Seto wears them? He could be popular if he just had contacts...  
  
Suddenly, Yami came to a conclusion. Even if Seto was really athletic and handsome, he didn't care for the popular crowd. It made sense...after what he realized today... 


	3. Duel!

A/N: Yeah! I'm really into this idea!  
  
Yami: For now. Remember what happened to History?  
  
Yugi: Yeah. BAM!!! Writer's block...  
  
Pikazoom: Why Yugi, it sounds as if you want me to continue even though you know its Seto/Yugi  
  
Yugi/Yami: O_o  
  
Pikazoom: ^_^ Maybe you guys are just in denile and not homophobes!  
  
Yugi/Yami: DEFINITELY NOT!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: O_o sheesh...well, don't read this chappie my muses! It's the closest you'll ever get to any kinda lime scene from me (I think)! XD XD XD Well...it sounds like lime but its purely innocent!  
  
Yami/Yugi: O_O  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Animefan: *shoves a chibi Yami plushie into her arms Wheeeeeeee! Thank you! Your review made me especially happy :)  
  
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: *gives them each a chibi Yami plushie* Yes, I want to keep going! *hopes she doesn't get writer's block* O_O  
  
ACME-Rian: *gives them a chibi Yami plushie* Yes, I'll keep it up! ^_^  
  
Crippled Chapter 3: Duel!  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow at Yami.  
  
"You heard me. I don't want to go to school..." The tri-colored haired teen pouted childishly, staring out of the window while sitting on his bed. He couldn't stand more ridiculing...it was pure torture. The word 'freak' and quiet laughter chased him through the halls yesterday...he couldn't take more.  
  
Seto sighed and walked away. Was he really giving up? No, I don't think so...the cobalt eyed boy brought in his secret weapon...his brother. Mokuba was very capable of making people feel very guilty...or annoy them into defeat.  
  
"How come you don't wanna go to school Yami? Don't you like it?" the raven haired child asked. Yami shook his head in response. The boy started to ramble. "Well, Niisama says we're not leaving until you come with us. You're gonna make us late for school! My teachers won't be happy if I'm late...or worse! Skip a whole day of school! I could get detention or kicked out of school-would you care if I got kicked out Yami?-cause I would! I really wanna be smart like Niisama and-"  
  
"Alright, alright! I'll go," Yami interrupted, throughly agitated at surrendering to a child. Mokuba grinned at his brother and bounded out of the room. "You...are very evil," he said, glaring at Seto who shrugged in response. The brunette began to walk out of the room when... "Seto?" Yami asked.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Can you help me...get dressed?" The crimson eyed boy blushed. Jiichan helped him yesterday...but his grandfather had gone out this morning...  
  
Seto sat down on Yami's soft bed and began to unbutton the boy's pajamas patterned with horizontal blue and black stripes. Yami's breathing grew erratic, and he started to regret asking the brunette for help. Why was he reacting like this? It was just like changing in the boy's locker room, right? Still, he couldn't stop feeling warm...Seto diligently buckled up Yami's favorite blue leather shirt and then buttoned up his uniform.  
  
"I-I can do the rest. Thank you," Yami stuttered. Yeah, he'd better change his own pants before he fainted. Seto nodded and walked out. Yami sighed with relief as the maroon in his cheeks faded away and started to finish changing.  
  
After a call for Seto to fetch him, the party of three were off. The silence still hung in the air like yesterday, but suddenly, Mokuba destroyed the atmosphere.  
  
"Have you ever played of Duel Monsters, Yami?" Mokuba asked curiously.  
  
"Yugi plays it all the time, and we sell it in the shop, but I've never played it," Yami responded.  
  
"Oh. Cause you know there's a tournament coming up soon."  
  
"Are you entering?" The disabled boy asked.  
  
"Me? No way! I'd get creamed by the duelists there! Capsule Monsters is more my thing. Won a couple tourneys for that game," he bragged, puffing out his chest. Mokuba liked to try to impress people, even if he denied it.  
  
"That's nice."  
  
"Anyway, Niisama is entering the Duel Monsters tournament."  
  
"Really now? How good are you, Seto?" The crimson-eyed teenager asked the brunette chauffer, trying to move around to see his face.  
  
"Good enough," came the reply. Yami shrugged and turned around, missing Mokuba's smirk.  
  
After dropping Mokuba off, they quickly arrived at Domino High. Here and there, aside the whispers about Yami to the kids absent yesterday, there was talk of the Duel Monsters tournament. Apparently, it was becoming the popular thing in both Japan and America.  
  
The murmurs continued through the classes till lunch. After another encounter from the lunch money stealing boy, Ryou sat down next to them again. "Are you entering the Duel Monsters tournament, Seto?" The white- haired boy asked. Seto simply nodded and took out his spare homemade lunch, a tuna sandwich.  
  
"How about you, Yami?" Ryou redirected the same question.  
  
"I don't even know how to play!" Yami laughed.  
  
"Would you like to learn?" Seto suddenly said.  
  
Yami blinked. "Uh...sure." He was stunned by Seto actually speaking without being asked a question.  
  
Seto pulled out a small box from his black bag. From it, he pulled out his duel monsters deck and set it on the table. "This is my deck. You can have 40 cards in a deck," the brunette began. Yami listened intently as he explained magics, traps, and monsters. He didn't notice that at the sight of DM cards, the cafeteria began to gravitate toward the small group of three.  
  
"He plays Duel Monsters?" a random kid whispered to his friend.  
  
"Bet he's not very good. He's not very good at anything else," the reply came with a mocking laugh.  
  
The end lunch bell rang loudly. Yami jumped. Lunch was ending already? He looked around and watched the herds of people file out. A group of guys were laughing on their way out. At the doorway, one of them shouted, "Hey loser! Your wasting your time teaching your buddy! Bet with that WHEELCHAIR of his, he won't even see over the platform!" They walked out rolling with laughter.  
  
Yami looked downcast again. They were probably right. His wheelchair and current disability were always the problem...he tried to hold in the oncoming tears.  
  
"Don't listen to them Yami," Ryou comforted him. "The platforms are readjustable to height anyway." Yami gave a little smile in response. However, he was far from happy.  
  
The rest of the day passed by quickly enough. After another beaning in dodgeball, Seto seemed ready to go. On the way out he was tripped by a popular girl, making him let go of the wheelchair. Yami panicked.  
  
"Hey." A guy behind him said, whirling Yami around. "Got any Duel Monster cards? Surely your friend gave you some. Gimme em."  
  
"I don't have any," Yami said, a little unsure of the oncoming results of his response.  
  
"Well then, your disposable, FREAK!" the guy cackled like the witch from OZ and punched Yami in the stomach. Yami lurched over coughing. The excrutiating pain sent him spiraling toward dizziness...he would pass out soon. He barely felt the wheelchair being spun around and pushed out toward some downward stairs.  
  
'Seto...' the crimson-eyed boy thought...his head lobbing around a little...everything was getting dark. Suddenly, everything jerk to a stop. Seto was leaning over, panting a little, but he was gripping the handle very firmly. Yami smiled at him a bit and closed his eyes, passing out from the pain that was throbbing in his stomach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The crimson-eyed boy woke up slowly. He was lying in a bed...just like at the hospital. He was getting deja vu. It wasn't his bed though. He looked around. It must've been his brunette buddy's room. There were a couple posters of Duel Monsters, especially of a very light blue dragon with haunting cobalt eyes...like Seto's...  
  
There were pictures of Mokuba, but very few of Seto. In fact, he was mostly in pictures where Mokuba was in as well. None of the pictures had him smiling...except one. Mokuba wasn't in this one. Instead it had a man and woman hugging a child with shimmering blue eyes. That was Seto. He looked so happy...  
  
The most puzzling thing Yami saw was a contact holder. Seto had contacts? Interesting...though it did make sense. He wore glasses after all. Aside from that, there were a lot of books, and a manga series called Cowboy Bebop.  
  
"Are you feeling better?" Seto asked, walking calmly into the room. Yami winced and shook his head. Now that he mentioned it, his stomach was in a lot of pain. The cobalt-eyed boy lifted up Yami's shirt. The crimson-eyed boy felt a blush run through his cheeks. The brunette didn't seem to notice though, and he placed a tied cloth full of ice onto the large purple bruise. Yami hissed in response to a sharp jolt of pain and the freezing ice coming in contact with his skin.  
  
Seto pulled up a chair from the desk in his room and sat next to Yami. The crimson-eyed boy sighed and wondered what the handsome brunette was thinking about...  
  
"I called the game shop. I explained what happened to you, and your grandfather will come to get you later," Seto said.  
  
"Thanks," was the reply. Yami couldn't help but feel that Seto was his guardian angel. He was always saving Yami. The tri-colored haired teen smiled. If he were to have a guardian angel, he was glad it was Seto.  
  
Yami leaned back into the bed. He thought about the events that had occured and frowned. Helpless. That's how he felt right now. He couldn't stop the bully from picking on him, much less save himself while in the wheelchair. Yami shut his crimson eyes and turned away from Seto, holding the ice bag in place. He was weak...  
  
"If you feel helpless," Seto began, seemingly reading Yami's mind, "there's really nothing you can do. However, your casts will come off eventually."  
  
"And what about my leg?" Yami asked, still not facing Seto. He was hoping that would get the brunette to stop talking. Being comforted wasn't something he really wanted right now. His casts WOULD come off...but only in a couple of months. That was a long time...too long.  
  
"If you wanted, you could get a bionic leg," he replied. A bionic leg? A mechanical leg? Yami hadn't thought about that. But then again, he'd still look like a freak. And his grandfather wouldn't be able to afford something so costly.  
  
"Hn," Yami said simply, not letting Seto know about his silent disappointment. The tri-colored haired boy closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him... 


	4. Ryu

A/N: I was thinking, I really should try to finish my other stories...  
  
Yami/Yugi: *bursts out laughing* sure you'll finish...  
  
Pikazoom: *viciously hits them* NOW DISCLAIM!!!  
  
Yami/Yugi: She doesn't own Yu-gi-oh.  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Animefan: *hands her a chibi Ryou plushie* O_o I'm running out of chibi plushies...I'll just have to give out the life-size ones! ^_^ It was sorta lime (muahahaha...). Anyway, have fun shopping, and thankies for your review!  
  
Aniron Legolas: *hands her a chibi Ryou plushie* Well, if he wasn't picked on, it would be a big fluff fic :/  
  
Demented Yami: *gives them a chibi Ryou plushie* _ Maybe I should hire you as narrarator...  
  
Beverly: *gives her a chibi Ryou plushie* Well yes but...  
  
Yami27: *gives her a chibi Ryou plushie* Yay! You like it!  
  
Yami Tenchi: Looks like my first flame... *sigh* *dejectedly hands them a chibi Ryou plushie*  
  
KlebKat: *gives them a chibi Ryou plushie* I'm not really disabled, but I have this strange skin problem, so I do get teased (I also go to a rich private school). I usually ignore it though. OOCness...it just had to be that way for the story...you like my writing? *cries in happiness* Eat that, my English teacher (who I didn't really like)! *laughs maniacally*  
  
Silver Goddess: *gives her a chibi Ryou plushie* You like it? Yay! I'm happy that people like my story so much! ^_^  
  
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: *gives them each a chibi Ryou plushie* people really like glomping my characters! Haha! Feel free to glomp away, but don't kill them o_o. I need them for my story. Anyway, I am still going!  
  
ACME-Rian: Where I came up with the idea? I dunno. I was playing DDR and then BAM! Inspiration! But maybe it came from that Korean soap opera my grandmother was watching. The girl was handicapped and this guy almost creepily came to save her when she had a problem. *gives them a chibi Ryou plushie*  
  
Silver_flames: *hands her a chibi Ryou plushie* I'm updating!  
  
Seto's chic: *gives her a chibi Ryou plushie* Sorry. I went to Japan and forgot to update before I left. My updates may or may not be faster because I'm in summer school now. :P I have the story planned out though! Oh yeah, I had planned to have the story revolve around Yami's opinions and feelings, so you may not get to dive into Seto's mind until the end.  
  
The recent reviewers: If you would like chibi Yu-gi-oh plushies I gave out before you reviewed, tell me! ^_^  
  
Crippled Chapter 4: Ryu  
  
After the little punching incident, Yami was out for about three days. That was 72 hours that Yami had to sulk. During most of his time, he cursed his deformed leg. If only it hadn't been destroyed in that accident, he'd be happy. A guy with broken bones but perfectly happy! He'd have friends (though corrupt and false as they were), and he wouldn't have to participate in PE.  
  
However, his spirits lifted a little afterschool. Seto and Mokuba would come by and visit. He enjoyed being educated by the brunette about duel monsters while Mokuba hopped around, talking nonstop to Yugi and his friends...which did include Anzu.  
  
Yami never quite forgave her, and she still avoided him. He really thought she was a trustworthy person, always talking about friendship, but the girl wasn't really honest in the end. A true example of a hypocrit.  
  
On the third day, Seto was about to leave, when he turned around and handed Yami a small box. The crimson-eyed teen looked at in wonder. Why did Seto give him this?  
  
"Open it. Think of it as a momento for learning duel monsters," the cobalt-eyed boy told him, and then promptly walked out.  
  
Yami peered at the gold box a little more, and then opened it. He gasped at what was in the inside. It was...  
  
Blue Eyes White Dragon Level 8 Attack 3000 Defense 2500  
  
It was the same monster that was postered all over Seto's wall. He stared at it. It was a very powerful card, and the picture exploded with the same kind of power. A fiery glare as cold as ice, with a commanding stance that made it the King of Dragons.  
  
"Hey, whatcha got there Yami?" Yugi's best friend, Jounouchi, asked, walking in with the rest of the younger Mutou's gang.  
  
"It's a gift," Yami said, holding out the card to the blonde.  
  
"Whoa! It's a Blue Eyes White Dragon! That's a really rare card Yami! There were only four made!" he exclaimed excitedly.  
  
"R-really?" he asked, totally flustered.  
  
"Yeah! One of the most powerful duelists has three out of four of those babies! The fourth one's whereabouts are unknown...until now that is!" Jounouchi shouted, pratically hopping around in the presence of such a card.  
  
"Who gave it to you?" Yugi's friend Honda asked curiously.  
  
"Seto..." he said fondly. He was happy that his friend had given him such a rare card...but maybe it was appropriate to return such a find...  
  
"I'LL TRADE YA MY WHOLE DECK FOR THAT BABY!!!!" Jounouchi screamed into Yami's face. The boy blinked in response.  
  
"C'mon, pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeeee?" the blonde begged.  
  
"Jounouchi...trading your whole deck is irresponsible," Yugi said. "It's an insult to your deck's soul..."  
  
"Yeah, and where are you gonna get the money to reconstruct your deck? Your Red Eyes Black Dragon is rare and powerful enough," Honda told him.  
  
"Yeah, I guess your right..." Jounouchi agreed.  
  
The deck's soul Yugi had said...Seto said something about the cards having a heart. It seemed a little strange that a reasonably down-to-earth person would believe in such a tale. Yami had demanded that the theory be put to the test. Seto selected a random card from his deck, sandwiched it in the middle, and had Yami shuffle his cards. Then, he pulled out another random card, and it turned out to be the same one! The crimson-eyed disbeliever made him do it over and over again until he believed.  
  
"You should build a deck, Yami. There's a tourney coming up in a couple of months, and anyone can enter," Honda commented.  
  
"Maybe I will," the elder Mutou boy said. As Yugi's gang filed out, he held the card to his chest and smiled fondly, sighing. 'Seto...' he thought. It was strange...when he was around Seto, he was happy. Thinking about him, seeing him, listening to him talk...all of it made him smile brightly. It didn't even matter that he didn't have the lower half of his right leg, or that people still talked badly about him. He even didn't care that he was content with a guy he really knew for only about a week. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he liked it...a lot.  
  
"Hey Seto?" Yami asked on the bright Monday morning, being chauffered around in his wheelchair again. Mokuba had already been dropped off, and they were heading for school.  
  
"Hn?" was the soft, questioning, reply.  
  
"Do you think...I could enter the duel monsters tournament?" he asked hesitantly.  
  
"Of course you can."  
  
"Even if I started a couple months ago? I'd probably get kicked out in the first round..."  
  
Seto stop the wheelchair. He walked over to the Yami's front side and crouched down to the shorter boy's level. "Everyone has potential, Yami. If you believe in yourself, or have a goal, you'll make it as far as you possibly can," he said confidently. "I believe in you, Yami," he finished, walking to the back again. His final words echoed through Yami's ears till school.  
  
The day passed by quickly, and lunch had suddenly snuck up on the two boys. The shorter boy decided to confront the taller about the Blue Eyes card.  
  
"Keep it. I told you it was a gift," Seto told Yami.  
  
"Yeah but...it's such a rare card..." Yami trailed off.  
  
"I don't need it. Really," Seto insisted.  
  
"If you're sur-"  
  
"I am," he calmly said, munching on his homemade replacement lunch. The boogie-lunch stealer had already made his now frequent reappearance.  
  
"Rare card?" Ryou asked. "If you enter Yami, it sounds like I'll be beaten down for sure!" The white-haired boy laughed.  
  
"Don't say that, Ryou. If you have confidence, you'll do fine," Yami smiled, rephrasing what Seto told him earlier.  
  
"I guess you're right," Ryou replied.  
  
Nothing more was said about the treasured gift given by Seto until afterschool. It was a strange thought, it was probably Yami being paranoid, but it always seemed that someone picked up about their conversations...  
  
"Hey, helpless disabled boy," the bully came around again, mocking Yami once more. "Heard you got yourself a rare card. I wanna win that upcoming tournament, so why do you hand it over?"  
  
"You shouldn't pick on those who can't defend themselves at the moment," Seto said calmly but sternly, coming up in front of Yami. His stance was tense, and he had an expressionless face.  
  
The bully huffed. He didn't like being commanded, especially from some nerd. "Just get out of the way, glasses," he bullied, pressing a finger to his chest.  
  
"I don't think so," Seto replied.  
  
"Well then, I'll just pick on you!" He hit Seto on the side of his face, causing him to lurch sideways, but he didn't fall over. The brunette's glasses, however, clinked to the side.  
  
"Ah! Seto!" Yami exclaimed, echoed by Ryou running up behind.  
  
The bully laughed loud and mocking and crushed the thick-rimmed spectacles. He waved his hand in front of Seto's face, which was covered by his brown bangs. "Can you still see nerd boy?"  
  
Seto straightened himself from his twisted position and glared at him with his piercing blue eyes. "I can see just fine, thank you very much," he said.  
  
A small huddle of whispers broke out. "He looks familiar..." was something Yami caught.  
  
Suddenly, a girl squealed. "He looks like Ryu!!!" The atmosphere grew excited. The chattering ran through the crowd.  
  
"You're right! Just without the brown eyes!" someone exclaimed.  
  
"Ryou...who is Ryu?" Yami asked.  
  
"Ryu the Dragon Master," Ryou started. "A famous and powerful duelist, yet a very mysterious person. No one even knows where lives...he has three Blue Eyes White Dragons."  
  
"So...is he him?" Yami wondered aloud. Surely Seto would relay such information to his best friend.  
  
Ryou hesitated for a second but then nodded. "He didn't want to be discovered though. That's partially why he wears the glasses. When he goes to tournaments, he wears contacts to make his eyes brown. He can actually see fine in any case."  
  
Seto said nothing to the whispers and picked up the battered frame of his glasses. Then, he took ahold of Yami's wheelchair, murmured a quick goodbye to Ryou, and pushed Yami off campus, leaving everyone, including the bully, stunned at the sudden revelation. A mysterious celebrity had surfaced at their school!  
  
"Seto..." Yami began. They were on their way to pick up Mokuba.  
  
"Hn?" was the same quiet reply.  
  
"I felt like I knew you...but you're just such a mystery to me...I want to know who you really are, so we can really be friends," Yami told the taller teen, blushing. Usually, he only thought these things, but he never spoke his mind until now.  
  
Seto stopped pushing Yami. The crimson-eyed boy was afraid he'd said something wrong. Seto bent over so that he could see Yami's worried face and gave him a small, but reassuring, smile. "Deal."  
  
The shorter teen's heart fluttered at the tiny sign of affection. Now that he'd said it, he didn't know where to start! "Errr..."  
  
"What would you like to know?" Seto asked, as if he knew Yami was stuck.  
  
"Well...how about when you picked up duel monsters?"  
  
Yami leaned back into his chair and listened contently to Seto's eloquent voice. The brunette had come into their game shop about half a year ago with Mokuba. Seto had seen a bunch of card packs and bought a few, with Mokuba's persuasion because he thought the cards looked "really cool!"  
  
When he finished, Yami asked, "Out of curiosity...how come you don't open up to other people? You're a nice guy Seto."  
  
"Because no one opens up to me," he replied, back to his old, calm tone. Yami realized something when he said that. Seto wasn't very trusting, but he was loyal to those that were closest to him. The tri-colored haired teen was one of those people. He smiled brightly. It meant a lot to him that Seto cared. Yami leaned back into his chair and thought of nothing but his friend.  
  
A/N: Muahahahaha...my mushiness is coming out! Wait, this isn't angst! ARGH!!!! *plots Yami depression*  
  
Yami: O_o  
  
Pikazoom: While I plan this out, please enjoy this chappie! R & R too! Please don't kill me!!!!!! 


	5. History

Pikazoom: Whassup? I'm back again!  
  
Yami/Yugi: NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: Disclaim, my muses!  
  
Yami/Yugi: She owns Yu-gi-oh! ^_^  
  
Pikazoom: Are you trying to get me sued?!  
  
Yami: Yup!  
  
Pikazoom: Grrrrrrrrr.do it right! *whacks them*  
  
Yami/Yugi: She doesn't own Yu-gi-oh  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
Kat: ^_^ Your welcome! I'm enjoying writng this. *hands her an inflatable Seto floaty thing*  
  
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: What an...interesting plot idea... *speechlessly hands them two inflatable Seto floaty thingies*  
  
Yami Tenchi: Oh sorry *sweatdrops* I guess I just took it the wrong way! I'm so sorry. ; . ; *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*  
  
Yami27: Hmmm...yes, there will be angst and depression. ^.^ (Yami: O_O) *hands them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*  
  
Beverly: You'd kill me? *runs, but throws her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*  
  
Animefan: *is glomped and falls over* Thanks, but Yami is a bit upset cause his hair was messed up O_o *gives her an inflatable Seto floaty thingy.  
  
Kaiba-fan: Yay! I'm glad you like my story! *gives them an inflatable Seto floaty thingy*  
  
Take the floaty thingy to the beach, and glomp them as the tide carries you helplessly away.  
  
Crippled Chapter 5: History  
  
"No."  
  
Yami said nothing as Seto wheeled him away from the stunned girl.  
  
"Why did yo-"  
  
"I have no desire to by one of them," Seto interrupted the shorter boy. He'd turned down another stereotypical popular girl's attempt to get him to sit at their table.  
  
It had taken only hours for the news to get around. Ryu the Dragon Master was at their school! Even without his contacts to conceal his true identity, the cold stare and absolutely gorgeous face was hard to miss...as long as those dorky glasses were off. Suddenly, everybody decided that the total bishie was popular! Everyone tried to talk to him, get autographs, and many other things. The girls came up to the handsome brunette, had a one-sided conversation with him, and walked away giggling. It made Yami want to hurl and strangle them at the same time.  
  
It was lunch time now. The bully didn't come around, but the popular girls did. They squealed and begged him to sit at their table. They all gave him false smiles and tried to show off their figure. Seto simply gave them a "no" and wheeled Yami over to their regular seats. Most of them were in shock, but a few sat at his table instead. Ryou was blushing madly. He wasn't used to so many people, much less girls, crowding around the table. Yami was very irritated by the high-pitched giggles, and he was sure Seto had a frustration mark appearing on his head.  
  
A couple of guys appeared at the table as well. Some wanted to look cool, but other guys, as well as a couple girls, asked for help on constructing and improving their decks. Seto was willing to answer those questions. It became apparent to Yami that the brunette encouraged the appearance of good duelists in the arena. The celebrity must not care whether his title was overthrown or not.  
  
Skipping to the end of school, Yami was suprised when a news reporter appeared in front of them. He watched in confusion as the reporter straighened her blouse and commanded the cameraman to start rolling. The lady began to question him, asking about many different topics. Seto said as little as he possibly could. In such a relatively inactive place such as Domino, finding a celebrity was big news! Yami didn't listen to what the lady said, but when she was done, some other people came up to them. He looked down. The interviewers were totally ignoring him anyway.  
  
"So, is this some kind of community service?" one man had the audacity to ask.  
  
"Hn?" Seto and Yami said, throughly confused.  
  
"This disabled boy." the man pointed at Yami. "Are you pushing him around for community service?"  
  
Yami lowered him head and his fists clenched together tightly in his lap. There was nothing he'd rather do more than punch the obnoxious guy...except maybe go home and cry at his public embarassment. Now everyone would know he was a freak...  
  
Seto clenched the handles of the wheelchair. He gave the man a cold gaze and said, "This isn't community service. This is my friend. No more questions please." The brunette shoved passed everyone and went on their usual route.  
  
"Don't listen to him Yami," Seto said simply.  
  
Yami's head spun around, tears flying from his eyes. "Am I really so horrible?! So horrible that everyone seems to force themselves to look at me?!"  
  
"...I'd prefer to look at you than any of my fangirls," Seto replied after a silence, looking away. Yami thought he saw a slight blush through his clouded vision.  
  
"A-a," Yami said, flustered. Did he really mean that, or was he just trying to be nice? Seto didn't seem to be the kind to lie, but he did look away... "Uh...thanks," replying to him with the only thing he could come up with.  
  
"So...uh..." he started, changing the awkward subject. "Can you...help me make a deck? I'll buy my own cards and everything!" he exclaimed. He would feel guilty if Seto gave him anymore gifts...  
  
"Sure," the cobalt-eyed teen said, sounding a bit...relieved? Was he glad that the subject was changed as well? "I'll help you on Saturday, okay?" Yami nodded in response.  
  
"Oh!" The crimson-eyed boy suddenly exclaimed. "But not until after 3. I'm going to the doctor. Is that alright?"  
  
"That's fine. I have to work anyway."  
  
"Eh?! But school forbids jobs! (Schools in Japan normally don't let them have jobs...it supposedly interferes with studies)" Yami shouted.  
  
Seto raised an eyebrow. "I got special permission. I live alone with Mokuba after all."  
  
"Y-you do?" The tri-colored haired teen asked. He didn't know that! Seto simply nodded.  
  
"My parents died a long time ago." Yami winced. He felt like he'd brought up another uncomfortable subject.  
  
"I-I'm sorry," he apologized.  
  
"It's fine. It was...when I was a kid...." he started. Yami listened as Seto began to tell him what happened.  
  
"I was five when my mother died. She had died giving birth to Mokuba. I remember crying in my room for a day or so. I wouldn't eat anything, When I came out, the first thing I saw was Father with Mokuba. And I hated him. I hated my little brother. I blamed him for my mother's death. Every time I saw him, I glared at him, telling how ugly he was and things like that. However, he never understood me. For every insult and harsh glare, he gave me a laugh and smile. I found myself feeling...guilty. He hadn't actually done anything wrong, and I scorned him. I went over to Mokuba, and the first thing he did was smile and reach out for me, like he wanted me to accept him and reality. I took his hand and hugged him for the first time. I remember Father telling me though we had our memories, Mokuba and I were the last physical trace of Mother and that I should cherish him as well as myself. So I cherished him and protected him."  
  
Despite being a guy, Yami felt like crying at that story. It was so...heartfelt. He could hear Seto's emotions in his voice, proving his sincerity. It must've been hard to experience it...but even harder to talk about it.  
  
"When I was about 8, my father was hit by a drunken driver. Dead at the scene from head trauma, that's what the police told me. I was shipped off with Mokuba to live with relatives. They took our inheritance and left us at an orphanage. It was there I promised Mokuba that I'd let him live a good life so that one day he wouldn't have to move around anymore. We were eventually adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba. At first we thought he was alright and we would happy again, but as soon as the social service was gone, he would come home drunk. He beat me all the time, but I always hid it from innocent Mokuba. He even tried to rape me once, but he passed out before he could catch me. When I was thirteen, a police officer said that our foster father had died from drinking too much alcohol at once. Afterward, I took custody of Mokuba and got a job to support us. I go to the Duel Monster tournaments to win additional money."  
  
Yami felt his eyes water. The crimson-eyed teen rubbed at his eyes. How could someone so kind go through such trauma? He felt so sorry for Seto. He'd been forced to act as an adult as well as a parent at such a young age. The only good part about his story was that things seemed to have mellowed out around Seto's life.  
  
"Don't cry," Seto told him, handing him a hankerchief from behind Yami. "If I hadn't gone through that, then maybe I would've been some arrogant, rich kid. (If you only knew, my OOC/AU Seto...)" Yami was surprised at his optimism but said nothing. They picked up Mokuba and nothing more was said about the topic.  
  
~~~  
  
"Really?!" Yami said very excitedly.  
  
"Yup. You can get your casts all off in a month," the doctor replied. Yami gave a huge grin. He could have his casts off in time for the tournament! Speaking of which...  
  
Sugoroku Mutou was pushing his eldest grandson out of the hospital in his wheelchair when the teenager spoke.  
  
"Oi...Jiichan?" Yami asked timidly.  
  
"Yes? What is it?" The grandfather asked.  
  
"Well, is it okay if I go to that upcoming Duel Monsters tournament?" he asked hopefully.  
  
Sugoroku gave it some thought. His casts would be off in time...but he would miss a week of school. But then again, he knew his grandson had been going through a hard time at school. The tournament might make him feel more like a normal teenager again.  
  
"Seto's going! PLEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSEEEEEEEEEEEE?!" Yami pratically whined, sensing his grandfather was torn.  
  
Sugoroku sighed. "Sure you can go. But wait, you don't have a deck!"  
  
"I knew I forgot something..." Yami sweatdropped. "I'll pay for my cards though!" he insisted. He had lots of money at home! He'd been planning to buy a new pair of leather pants-the washer had kind of pummeled his last one-but oh well. That can wait.  
  
"Of course. But my grandkids get a discount!" the grandfather exclaimed.  
  
"Great!" Yami grinned ear to ear.  
  
When they got home, Yami shelled out enough money for 15 packs...that was 75 cards. After being rolled to his room, he vigorously pulled at the wrapper, trying to get it to open.  
  
"Need help?" a voice laughed as the owner snatched the pack Yami was holding out of his hands.  
  
"Yeah...a little," Yami told Seto sheepishly. The taller teenager sat down on the bed and opened the card pack Yami had been holding.  
  
"Black Magician...Rage of the Sea King..." Seto continued to read off all the cards Yami had recieved. Afterward, he gave some deck construction guidelines, and let Yami contruct the deck on his own.  
  
"Not even just a little help?" Yami asked, just a little unsure of what he was picking.  
  
"Nope. It wouldn't be fair to know what cards were in your deck, ne?" was the reply. Yami pouted but silently agreed.  
  
During construction, they talked about numerous subjects. Tv shows...manga...things like that.  
  
"Oh yeah! I get all my casts off in a month! Isn't that great?!" Yami exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah. And then you can open all your cards yourself," Seto joked. Yami frowned and whacked him with the pillow on his bed playfully. However, Yami lost his balance in the process and fell over...right into Seto's chest.  
  
'He smells good...' Yami thought, getting a small whiff, feeling the soft cotton of the black shirt and the muscles underneath. The brunette smelled like spices in a popourri (Is that how you spell it? Do they even put spices in those?!). Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. His cheeks burning, Yami pushed himself up right with his right arm and backed away a few inches. What was he doing?! Sniffing his best friend like a dog?!  
  
"SORRY!" Yami yelled out, breathing very erratic. What was going on? His heart was pounding at the speed of light!  
  
"It's okay," Seto calmly replied. Yami punched himself a couple times to try to get rid of the red in his cheeks and then turned around. Was Seto...blushing? There was a faint glow of red in his cheeks, and he was scratching his head sheepishly.  
  
"Well," the cobalt-eyed teen started, breaking the uncomfortable silence, "it's getting late. I should go."  
  
"A-a," Yami agreed, but he silently wished that Seto could stay.  
  
"I'd recommend dueling some people tomorrow. Maybe duelists coming by the store. It's good practice," the cobalt-eyed teen said before walking out the door. Yami stared after him, a light blush re-lighting his cheeks. Sighing, he leaned back into his chair and looked at his deck. When he looked at his cards, he thought about Seto. He bit his lip as he felt his cheeks burn.  
  
It was strange really. He thought a lot about Seto...more than anything or anyone else. When Seto was next to him, he wondered about what the handsome teen thought about. When the brunette was gone, he wondered what the blue-eyed duelist was doing. Yami shook off his thoughts and pulled out the Blue Eyes from his dresser drawer. Should he put this in his deck? Shaking his head, he put it back in. It was a symbol of Seto and Yami's friendship. He'd hate to use it against Seto.  
  
'Seto...I wonder what you're doing...' Yami thought.  
  
~~~a month later~~~  
  
"Oi! Seto! What are you doing here?" Yami asked, running up to him (yes, running). Seto placed his hands on Yami's waist and pushed him down onto the ground.  
  
"To see you," he replied, smiling. The cobalt-eyed teen leaned his face closer until.....  
  
Yami shot up out of the bed. Why was he dreaming like this? It wasn't the first time. The first time Seto held his hand. The next, he hugged him. The time after that, he held him close. He'd had dreams like this for the last two weeks.  
  
Yami looked in the mirror on the nightstand next to him. His cheeks were red like tomatoes! And no wonder...he'd woken up blushing after every dream. Oh, and sometimes some other uncomfortable things too...but no one needs to know about that (*cough*).  
  
He looked at the pocket calendar on his nightstand. Tearing off the page from the last day, he smiled excitedly. He was getting his casts off today! He looked at the phrase on the calendar quickly. They were words of wisdom. "If you don't find your soulmate, you'll live alone and unhappy for life. Everyone should be courageous in love." ~Pikazoom (I made this up on the spot. If you'd like to add words of wisdom to his calendar, put it in a review! ^_^) Yami stared at it. Pikazoom...what a weird alias... (*chases her muses for adding in that part*) Shaking his head, he started to lower himself into his wheelchair.  
  
~~~~  
  
"How's it feel to be free of your casts?" Seto asked.  
  
"Great!" Yami smiled, waving his free arm around to prove his joy. Seto had stopped by to visit. While Yami's dreams quickly resurfaced at the sight of the teen, he did a good job of hiding the red in his cheeks.  
  
"Think you can lug that wheelchair around yourself?" Seto asked.  
  
"W-why?" Yami countered. Did Seto not want to be around him?  
  
The brunette shrugged. "You should exercise your arms more. Don't think you can get lazy on me!" he said, smirking at him.  
  
"Lazy?!" Yami pouted. "I'll show you lazy!" The crimson-eyed boy pushed himself around until he made a complete crooked circle around the room...with much difficulty, mind you.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Like you're not sweating right now from your effort," Seto teased.  
  
Yami frowned and lunged himself right out of the chair at Seto. His left leg was out of the cast too, so he could stand on it...if he had the strength, that is. His heavily out-of-practice leg gave out on him, and started to fall.  
  
"Daijoubu ka? (Are you alright?)" Seto asked. This was a...rather strange position they were in. It looked like they were hugging each other. Yami's face burned into Seto's chest.  
  
"I'm fine..." he replied, his voice being muffled by the brunette's shirt.  
  
"Eh...sorry," Seto apologized.  
  
"It's alright," Yami replied, tightening his grip on Seto's blue button-up. "It was...my fault."  
  
"..." Seto said nothing as Yami finally managed to pull himself away. The brunette stood up, holding a blushing Yami, and lowered the crimson-eyed teen back into his wheelchair.  
  
"So..." Seto started, trying to break another awkward moment, "have you dueled anyone yet?"  
  
"A-ah. Yeah," Yami stuttered out.  
  
"That's good. The tournament's only a month away," the brunette commented.  
  
"Yeah. So, what are the chances I'll duel you?" the crimson-eyed teen asked.  
  
"It depends on how many duelists go to the tournament."  
  
"Ah. Do you...really think I have a chance?" Yami questioned, turning to face Seto, even though he was sure it was beet red.  
  
"Of course. Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," Seto answered, giving no sign that Yami was still blushing.  
  
"Especially? What makes you say that?"  
  
"Newbies are the ones who perservere the most because they feel they have to prove to the other duelists that they belong in the dueling arena."  
  
"...Was that...how you felt at first?" Yami asked.  
  
"Hn," Seto nodded. "I had been really nervous, but Mokuba said he'd cheer for me the whole time, and I didn't want to let him down."  
  
"Will you cheer for me?" Yami thought out loud. His eyes widened when he'd realized he'd verbalized it. "I mean-I-un-"  
  
"Of course I'll cheer for you," Seto smiled at him. Yami's heart fluttered.  
  
"I-I'll cheer for you too then," the wheelchair-bound teen replied.  
  
"Good. I'd be sad if my best friend didn't root for me."  
  
Yami grinned. It was the first time Seto said they were best friends.  
  
"Well, I should go. My boss is letting me work overtime, so I can get paid more. See you later!" Seto waved before exiting.  
  
"Ja...(see you)" Yami said. "Everyone has potential. Even the newbies. Especially the newbies," the crimson-eyed boy repeated to himself. Between the words of wisdom and his friend's confidence in him, he was sure he'd try his best!  
  
A/N: Yami angst is next.  
  
Yami: WHAT?!  
  
Pikazoom: Yup! Just wait till I write it!  
  
Yami/Yugi: O_O We don't want to know.  
  
Next chapter: Life for Yami turns upside-down. What happened? 


	6. Change

Pikazoom: I liiiiiiiiiive!!!!  
  
Yami/Yugi: Noooooooooooooo!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: Muahaha...and it's time for...YAMI ANGST!!! *does the manga-kaiba laugh* WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  
  
Yami: O_O *faints*  
  
Yugi: *watches him fall over* Yami?! O_o Don't leave me alone with her!!!  
  
Pikazoom: Disclaim!!!  
  
Yugi: She doesn't own Yu-gi-oh...  
  
Note: School's starting soon, so I may not update for awhile (like now, sorry!). Not to mention I haven't been very happy lately...so who knows when I'll write, but I'll try hard! =D  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
All: I HAVE REACHED 49 REVIEWS!!!! NEXT STOP 50!!!!!!!!!!!! *does the manga-kaiba laugh* WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I'm also on several people's favorites list! Thank you guys!!!!!  
  
AnimeFan-Artemis: Noooooooooooo! You had to change your name?! Eeeeeeeeevil...*plots revenge against FF.net* Anyways, now Seto can't breathe...O_o (Seto: +_=) Thank you for your review! *hands her a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Kauly123: Favorite stories? THANK YOU!!!! *cries tears of joy* THAT MAKES ME REALLY HAPPY!!!! *stuffs a Yami inflatable floaty thingy into her arms*  
  
Dee-why-Cee-aRe: Self-insertion??? *doesn't understand* Ohhh...you mean my calendar, huh? Well, boredom and strange imagination does that to you. -_- *gives them a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Kami Beverly: I think it's safe to assume you were Beverly but had to change your name, huh? Well, that being said, I should write so you don't kill me O_o''' *hands her a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Sailor Pride and Yumi-chan: Muahahaha...kill? I might...no, I'm joking. My story doesn't involve the supernatural (which means no ressurection for Yami). Yay! Thank you for your words of wisdom! I do believe you are...Yami Tenchi, ne? You're on my favorites list =D Here, take these. *gives them each a Yami inflatable floaty thingy* Take them to the beach, and glomp them as the tide carries you away! ^_^  
  
Ssjmiraitrks: Ah, DBZ based name, ne? Anyway, thank you for your review! *hands them a Yami inflatable floaty thingy* O_O I'm on your favorites list, aren't I? THANK YOU!!!! *GLOMP*  
  
Pixy stixs: Yep, they're shy! It makes the mushy romance last longer (muahahaha...). Just joking...I think... O_o *hands them a Yami inflatable floaty thingy as I laughs maniacally*  
  
Crouching Tigress: Thank you for your review and your words of wisdom! O_O You reviewed all of my chappies in a row! *stuffs all the gifts from previous chapters into her arms as well as a Yami inflatable floaty thingy* Enjoy!  
  
Kaiba-fan: You reviewed again. ^_^ Thank you. It's nice to know I have continuous readers (that goes for the rest of you too). *gives her a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Dark Anubis: Awww...don't listen to your Yami. I'm sure your stories are great. ^_^ *gives them each two Yami inflatable floaty thingies*  
  
Amethyst Sin and Phiona: Thank you for the proverb! O_o lots of rabid fangirls.. *gives them two Yami inflatable floaty thingies and a bunch for the rabid fangirls*  
  
Darknesswithinonesheart: Yes, we all hate Anzu (prepare to hate her more in this chapter). Thanks for the words of wisdom! Yours is in this chappie! ^_^ Btw, Seto and Yami won't kiss for awhile. =/ *hands her a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Coon Queen: First time reviewer! Yay! Oh, you want a Seto gift??? Okay, I'll give you something... *pulls out an extra Seto inflatable floaty thingy and gives it to her* Hmmm... you can have this too! *gives her a Yami inflatable floaty thingy*  
  
Note: Phwa! My PC crashed! I lost part of what I was writing, but luckily, I send my fic back and forth between my Mac and PC (I e-mail myself attachments! XD XD)  
  
Crippled Chapter 6: Change  
  
Yami sat contently in his wheelchair looking through his deck. Suddenly, he flipped the cards face down and shuffled. Maybe he should test Seto's theory himself. What card to look for? Suddenly, he decided on the Black Magician. Yami had a strange favortism toward the card.  
  
'Believe...' he thought, closing his crimson eyes. He placed his hand on the top of deck and quickly drew the top card. Holding the collectible monster to his face he slowly opened one eye.  
  
"Haha! I did it!" the teen bounced around happily in his chair. Shuffling the magician back into his deck, he attempted to draw it again and again. After pulling the same card five times he thought about what Seto had said. "I guess that means I believe in my deck, huh?" he said out loud, almost as if he was talking to Seto.  
  
"YAMI! Come quick!" Yugi yelled. The younger teen ran down the the room, but skid from the doorway when he halted to a stop.  
  
"Yugi? What's wrong?" Yami asked, trying to roll his way up to the room's entrance as best as he could. The younger brother skid back to his door and grabbed his elder brother's wheelchair handles and hauled him out to the tv screen as fast as he could. Yami blinked in confusion but turned to the news report.  
  
"The accident happened when a number of large crates fell onto several workers unloading them. The crates have injured five and killed one," the television roared.  
  
Everything after that was unheard as Yami's eyes painfully widened. "SETO!!!" he screamed, clutching the sides of the tv. Being shown on the electronic box were ambulances loading victims into the back. Yami's favorite brunette was being loaded in, a gash on the right side of his beautiful forehead. Blood was running down the side of his handsome face.  
  
At first, Yami wouldn't stop yelling at the poor television. Then, he sat there staring at the box when the news report was finished. He couldn't believe it. Seto had gotten into an accident. What if he came out like him? Crippled? Or what if...he was one that was killed? Suddenly, Yami buried his face into his slender arms and cried. He barely felt someone wheel him back to his room and put him on the bed, nor did he hear Mokuba come over to the Game Shop, asking to stay for awhile with tears in his eyes. The crimson-eyed teen just cried himself to an awful sleep.  
  
~~~Dream~~~  
  
"Where are you going?" Yami asked, attempting to roll himself over to the brunette. However, he couldn't budge an inch.  
  
Seto hesitated before turning around and smiling brightly at him. "I'm going...someplace wonderful." he said, pointing to the dark sky. With that, he entered a wooden coffin next to him and whispered, "Goodbye..." The coffin ascended to the sky.  
  
"Wait! Don't leave me here alone!" Yami cried, the tears sliding down his cheeks. Suddenly, all other sounds stopped and all that was left was Seto's last words.  
  
In a flash, Yami began falling as the ground vanished from under him. He finally hit another ground. All around him was black. Even the soil. He shielded his eyes as a bright light blinded him. Then, he flung into unconsciousness as something tackled him.  
  
Waking up, he realized he was at the hospital. It was the same room as the one where he'd found out...about THAT...  
  
"Seto?" Yami whispered. "Seto?" he asked again, his voice cracking a little. He pleaded the name over and over again but no one came to comfort him. He finally stuffed his face into the pillow and cried, and there was no Seto to comfort him...  
  
~~~End Dream~~~  
  
Yami let out a strangled cry as he awoke. Panting and sweating, one might add. It was an awful nightmare. He didn't want to go back to sleep. He was afraid. He didn't want to feel pain and sadness. Seto had taken away those awful things and replaced them. Replaced them with happiness. Yami was afraid of what Seto had gotten rid of.  
  
Wiping his eyes and face of salty tears, he looked at the clock. It was 5:24 am. He still had about an hour until he usually woke up! He threw the covers off and ripped another day off of his calendar. It read, "Step up to an oppurtunity. If you don't, you'll regret it!" ~Darknesswithinonesheart. Yami looked at it. What was up with these weird aliases? (*throws angry glares at her muses* Don't insult the reviewers!!! *whacks them with mallets*) Shaking his head, he began to lower himself into his wheelchair. At first, he noticed that his arms hurt. He remembered that he'd been practicing moving around on his own when Seto had left.  
  
'Seto...' he thought sadly, his eyes watering. Yami tried to shake off his depression and rolled slowly to the kitchen, sniffling a little along the way. It would be a little while until Jiichan woke up. He had planned to eat breakfast, but the wheelchair made him too short to reach even the Mutou family's low counters. Pain hit him again. Bad memories of his accident flooded his mind, followed by images of the news report. Seto had taken away his painful memories, but now, they resurfaced without him. Suddenly, he was reminded of something else.  
  
"Seto could cook..." he thought out loud to himself. He remebered their cooking project earlier in the year. They had been ordered to cook something. Set into partners, Yami was with Otogi. Currently, Otogi hung out with Yugi's crew. Nobody was absolutely sure why he hung out with underclassmen. Rumor was he was dating one of them *cough*honda*cough*. Anyway, Seto had managed to come out with a beautiful spaghetti dish on his own (his partner was uncooperative) while Yami and Otogi...well, they burned the stove. However, their extra credit desert allowed them to scrape by.  
  
Yami shook his head. This wasn't helping! He'd come here to temporarily forget about Seto, Obviously, that wasn't working. Sighing, he sat there, waiting for Jiichan to wake up so he could be fed. In the mean time...he didn't know what to do. He sat there in his chair until he fell sound asleep, his spiky haired head lolling to one side...thankfully, he didn't having any nightmares.  
  
~~~  
  
"Yami?" Jiichan asked, shaking his elder grandson out of sleep. The said teenager made some strange gargling noises and groaned before opening his large eyes.  
  
"Jiichan?" he asked, shaking his head in order to wake up.  
  
"What are you doing in the kitchen???" the concerned grandfather said.  
  
"Oh, I woke up early, and I came in here. I couldn't reach the cereal, so I went to sleep," he sweatdropped. That last line sounded pretty pathetic.  
  
"Oh...so, what would you like?"  
  
"Hmmm...how about Corn Pops? (Yugi: she doesn't own this either)" the crimson-eyed teen suggested. His grandfather nodded and pulled a bowl from the cabinet. "Hey Jiichan? Could we...visit Seto afterschool?" he asked timdly,  
  
In truth, Yami was afraid to see Seto. What if something awful had happened to his best friend? Biting his lip, he fought back images of the brunette with a large wound on his forehead from last night. He secretly admitted that he'd hate for Seto's beautiful appearance to be destroyed.  
  
The cobalt-eyed teen had a natural grace to him. It was funny that no one seemed to noticed that...even Yami didn't notice at first. His walk was smooth and flawless. His eyes were a brilliant blue and pierced through yours thoughts. If Seto was a model, people would be drooling at his picture.  
  
"I guess we can," Jiichan answered after giving it some thought. "But...they might not let you in. You know that, right?"  
  
"Well...yes. But they would at least let Mokuba in. He's family, and I know he wants to see him too," the elder Mutou child said.  
  
"Yes. That's true. But you'll have to ask Yugi to take you..."  
  
"Yugi?" Yami blinked.  
  
"Well, you can't move around in that wheelchair by yourself now can you?" Jiichan raised an eyebrow.  
  
Yami winced. It sounded like..like they were replacing him. Like they were replacing Seto. They were just talking about him! Didn't Jiichan care at all? Yami furiously swiped at his eyes. He wouldn't cry...he wouldn't...  
  
"No...no I suppose not," the teen said softly, eyes on his lap.  
  
~~~  
  
"Hey Anzu!" Yugi waved. She turned around, smiling, about to reply, and then she ran away. "Hey...why'd she run away?"  
  
"...me," Yami answered glumly.  
  
"Huh? I thought she liked you, Yami," Yugi asked.  
  
"Well, that was before..." Yami pointed to the non-existant limb, wincing.  
  
"O-oh. Sorry Yami," the younger brother said, biting his bottom lip.  
  
"It's okay Yugi. I know you want to hang out with your friends, so don't let me stop you," the crimson-eyed teen turned around, putting on a false smile.  
  
"You miss him, don't you?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"I can tell, Yami," Yugi interrupted, "I'm your brother. You don't have to lie to me," he frowned.  
  
"..." Yami was silenced. "I...I'm sorry Yugi. I didn't want to make you feel...guilty or anything."  
  
"Though," Yugi said, winking, "I'm left to wonder how much you like him."  
  
"Wha-what?" Yami said, his face burning. Was his younger brother was implying that he was gay? Well, it wouldn't be so bad. Seto's nice. And handsome. And hot. And has nice blu-ARGH!!! What was he thinking?! Seto was his best friend, nothing more!  
  
"I wouldn't mind adding him to the family," Yugi laughed. Looking at his elder brother's gaping face he said, "Aw, come on Yami. I know you like him!"  
  
"Well...I don't really know what I think of him," Yami confessed.  
  
"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually," Yugi reassured, pushing his brother into his classroom.  
  
Life without Seto was normal. Nothing odd happened...but it sure felt strange. Especially at lunch. He ate with Yugi and his friends, and conversations often cut him out. Yami felt...lonely for the first time in a long time. People stared at him, but they never tried anything. Being the friend of a celebrity had its advantages.  
  
But Yami never saw Seto at the hospital. He was always too afraid and Yugi too busy. Soon, one week had past, and Yami was fed up. He suddenly wanted solitude, and he started to wheel himself around. In a short amount of time, he'd gained a lot of speed. However, with about three weeks until the tournament, tension was rising between duelists.  
  
~~~  
  
"Hey you!" A red-haired teenager came up to Yami.  
  
"Y-yes?" Yami asked, very flustered. No one but Yugi and his friends talked to him, so this was surprising.  
  
"You're the one being trained by Ryu to duel, right?" the boy sneered and stuck his acne-loaded face in front of Yami's flawless one. (hehe...acne- loaded...couldn't resist...)  
  
"Well, I wouldn't say trained...he just taught me," Yami looked up at the interogator.  
  
"I don't want you dueling at the tournament. Do I make myself clear?" the red-head asked.  
  
"What?! No, I want to duel!" Yami protested. A fist flung out and punched Yami in the side of the head.  
  
"There's a warning. That prize money will be mine!" and the boy stomped off, leaving Yami in shock and pain.  
  
~~~  
  
Life was getting harder and harder for Yami. Everyone seemed to have assumed that he was a great duelist because he was friends with the famous Ryu the Dragon Master. In truth, Seto hadn't told him much. Just the basics. Not that anyone listened.  
  
His bruises were adding up, followed by multiplying. Jiichan was feeling a little ill lately, and he didn't want to worry the old man with his problems. Yugi was totally oblivious to the situation. The only visible mark was the bruise on Yami's head, but he'd swayed the boy's judgement into thinking he'd hit something. Finally, with only one week left until the tournament, Yami decided to see Seto. Seto always listened...no matter if he was hurt, Yami was sure he'd listen.  
  
A/N: Is this a short chapter? I can't tell @_@  
  
Yami: *mutters* the less you write the better.  
  
A/N: DIE!!!! *grabs her scythe* 


	7. Yami

Pikazoom: Okies, here's the chapter where the you go down the hill and then back up again.  
  
Yami: YESSS!!! No more angst!!!!  
  
Pikazoom: No, there's still lots of angst in there till the end. Not to mention the fluff containing Seto after pulling out of angst.  
  
Yami: O_O Noooooooo..... *faints*  
  
Yugi: Mou hitori no boku! O_O  
  
Pikazoom: DISCLAIM!!!  
  
Yami: *gargles out* she doesn't own Yu-gi-oh...  
  
To my reviewers:  
  
64 reviews!!!! I can die happy!!!!! I mean, I can die happy after I finish this fic!!!!!!  
  
Tainted Fortune: Must...update...School can't hold me back!!! I'm obsessed with the internet!!! Muahahahahaha...*ahem* Yes, injured Seto will be in here ^_^ Thanks for your review! *gives them a Malik plushie*  
  
Amethyst Sin and Yami Phiona: Okay, on your request, I've decided that Malik will be in here (somewhere). *is seen smashing Malik into her fic* C'mon, get in there! Oh, and here you go *gives them each a Malik plushie* fair trade, right? ^_^ *hugs her Malik plushie*  
  
Darknesswithinonesheart: Phe. Don't mind my muses *glares at them* Nah, it doesn't matter if your name's long. As long as you like it! Too angsty? Oops. -_- Well, it'll go back to happy happy at the end of the chapter. *hands her a Malik plushie*  
  
Sailor Pride and Yumi-chan: Awww...you don't want to be lost at sea with inflatable versions of bishies? Oh well. Couldn't get the real thing cause then they'd drown after awhile. -_- Angst, angst, angst...nyehehe...I do whatever comes to mind. Muahaha...anyway... *hands them each a Malik plushie*  
  
Kami Beverly: Yes, I'm giving out Malik plushies. I was thinking about stuffing a little Malik/Ryou in here *wiggles eyebrows* ^_^ Anyway, thanks for the review!!! *stuffs a Malik plushie into her arms*  
  
Crouching Tigress: Thanks for the words of wisdom! @_@ I hope I can fit everyone's in here...COOKIES!!!! *munch munch munch* ^___^ THANK YOU!!! Phe...well, Yami in the story happens to be a lot nicer than my muse version. *glares at Yami muse* Anyway, thanks for your review and cookies! *hands her a Malik plushie*  
  
Scribler: Ahh...very wise words. Thank you! ^_^ Oh, you're disabled? Well, that doesn't matter. I was just worried I was offending people -_- ;;; Pain and Torture? O_o You poor thing. Here, hug this ^_^ *gives them a Malik plushie* Btw, THANKS FOR PUTTING ME ON YOUR FAVORITE STORIES!!!!  
  
Animefan-Artemis: *halts* Darn, you really know how to stop me...*grabs the giant Seto plushie, glomps it, and then proceeds to hit her Yami muse...once (for fear of Yami fangirls)* Oh no, do you want Yami Bakura in here now? @_@ *tries to stuff Yami Bakura in, but he promptly bounces off and flies several feet away from her fic* O_O;;;; Uh oh...uhhhhhh...here, have a plushie! ^_^ *gives her a Malik plushie*  
  
Dee-whY-Cee-aRe: Yes, Yami inflatable is very fortunate. It was also designed to withstand a lot of glomping and such! ^_^ Anyway, thanks for the review!!! *gives them a Malik plushie*  
  
Coon Queen: Awww...don't worry. My favorite bishie has been created to be utterly invincible in this fic!!! ^_^ Glad you like the inflatables! Fave list? O_O *glomps her* THANK YOU!!!! *stuffs a Malik plushie into her arms*  
  
ssjmiraitrunks: Sowwy. Seto had to get hurt to make Yami all angsty and stuff....must...update...*starts typing like a robot* o_o Oh yeah, thanks for the review!! *gives them a Malik plushie*  
  
Adrie: Ha! HA! Hear that Yami?!! *Yami muse grumbles* Sorry about him. He seems to have something against being paired with Seto...however, I drive them crazy cause it's my favorite pairing! Muahahaha... *laughs evilly while handing her a Malik plushie*  
  
Demented Yami: Ah, you can never say a word too much...unless like, it's a swear word...or maybe the word "Anzu." O_o Anyway, thanks for your review! Tis appreciated!!! *hands them a Malik plushie*  
  
Seto-Kaiba's-fan: Phe...another one amist the chaos of FF.net evil...darn them!!! Don't worry, revenge plan A is in the making...muahahaha... *laughs evilly while handing them a Malik plushie*  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ PS. After this, I had been planning to rewrite previous fics, and maybe even start a couple new ones...which one's would you most like? I've got so many ideas running around my head...my muses are in constant torture while I daydream...nyehehe...  
  
A. (Already written a bit) Seto buys a cat for Mokuba, but a spell placed on it reveals that it's not really a cat...at least at night... (contains one Yami catboy ;D ) Seto/Yami Rating: PG-13 or PG Romance, maybe humor (Oh yeah, I had considered a nice ???/Ryou sequel story...Ryou the bunny...heehee...)  
  
B. Uhhh...this one hasn't been thought out well enough. A time travel through eras to see romances of two reincarnations reblossom (contains one Ancient Egypt, one modern, and one medieval time-period one-shots...may have more one-shots than that though...I need to research more history periods to be able to write more.) Seto/Yami Rating: Who knows? -_- Romance  
  
C. Seto's the CEO of Kaiba Corp. Anzu's (amazingly) got her own company, and'll do anything to get control of Kaiba Corp. What happens when Anzu's little brother meets the rich CEO? (contains Anzu being the main bit-I mean- villan...and uhhh...I had seriously thought about a lemon for this fic, but I've never written one before) Seto/Yami/Yugi!!!! ^_^ Rating: PG-13 or R Romance, most likely tacking on angst. (This is a idea I'm definitely for)  
  
D. Angel fic. On coming back from negotiations in the underworld, one of the angels bring back a half angel half demon. Hated because of heritage, no one really sees his innocence... (contains Seto as a head angel and either Yami or Yugi as the half angel half demon) Seto/Yami or Seto/Yugi Rating: PG or PG-13 Romance, with angst again.  
  
E. I just squeeze a whole bunch of fantasy stories together (mermaid, vamps, angels, etc.) into one fic of various stories (like B I guess.) Seto/Yami or Seto/Yugi (this one hasn't been planned out either, so there may be room for all three together *wiggles eyebrows* XD )  
  
F. Already in the process of writing. Go through the minds of the Yu-gi- oh characters as they pour their thoughts into journals. Tries to parallel with the anime series. (contains one psychiatrist who thinks Yugi's schizo) The point of this was to try and understand the characters better. That means no bashing, and no pairings. Rating: PG or maybe even G.  
  
G. OMG, I've reached G?! Oh well. Everyone knows Horus and Set were at odds with each other right? Well, they both mysteriously reincarnate as mortals in Ancient Egypt. As I quote from Chibi-chan's fic, Pet Peeves, "What the hell was up with that anyway?" Pairing: you haven't figured out my pattern yet? (contains two gods turned mortal) Rating: ummmm.... Romance, maybe with some other genre...  
  
Alright. I've exploded your mind with ideas. If I don't use some of them, you're welcome to take the idea! Anyway, ONWARD!!!!  
  
PPS: It's the last one, I swear! One Seto and one Yami plushie to Demon Game, for RPing with me. ^o^ Beware, you've become my RP buddy...  
  
Crippled Chapter 7: Yami  
  
"Thank you," Yami said quietly as he turned away from the information desk. Rolling down the hall, the teenager looked straight at the elevator, but his mind lingered elsewhere. He hated being here in the hospital. It brought back painful memories. For a moment, the crimson-eyed boy considered turning around, but he quickly reprimanded himself for almost chickening out. Sighing softly, he rolled into the elevator and headed for room 1025.  
  
Yami felt the butterflies fluttering in his stomach. Everytime the elevator reached a new floor, the 'bing' sound almost made his heart stop. He couldn't help it! He was nervous! The elevator rolled to a stop, and a bundle of spikes and leather wheeled itself out slowly and hesitantly. As the mechanical transport closed, Yami took in a large breath, gathering his confidence. Exhaling, he began moving foward again.  
  
The crimson-eyes scanned the lone corridor for the correct door. Yami halted as he came to room 1025. He bit his bottom lip, and opened the door, squeezing his eyes shut. He was afraid again. He didn't want to see something wrong with Seto. He rolled foward, eyes still shut tight, until he hit something. Squinting one eye open, he saw a bed. And there were feet...and a figure under a blanket. His eyes wandered up the slender figure on the bed and soon came to a face.  
  
It was Seto. In all his glory. There were bandages that peaked out from under the brunette bangs. They'd been wrapped around his head, obviously for the gash he'd seen on the news. Yami cringed. Hopefully it wouldn't scar. Amazingly, the rest of the tall teen looked perfectly normal, yet Yami wasn't satisfied. It sounded selfish, but he wanted one more thing...  
  
More than anything...he wanted to see Seto's deep blue eyes. (my English teacher said eyes are powerful. I'd say she's right) Yami wanted to gaze into them as they slowly opened from a long slumber. There was no denying Seto had beautiful eyes. They were extrodinary. They saw through your skin and bore into your soul. They themselves were hard to read, but Seto's cobalt eyes were always entrancing. In an instant, they could turn from a bright cerulean to a mysterious navy. Yami blushed at his strange thoughts. He didn't come here to just stare anyway...  
  
"Seto?" he asked almost inaudibly. No answer. Yami sat in the silence for awhile before he burst. He just needed to talk to someone. "It's really lonely without you, Seto. There's really no one to talk to. I mean, I could talk to someone, but you always understand me best.  
  
"I...well, people are starting to beat me up at school again. They think I'll be really good at the tournament because they think you trained me. Oh! But-I mean-oh-I mean...I don't blame you! It's not your fault!" Yami bit his lip. Sometimes, people say they can remember things even if they were in a coma. He wouldn't want Seto to feel bad if he heard that.  
  
"Um...well...Mokuba's doing well. He's been kinda quiet lately though. I'm sure he can't wait for you to wake up. An uh...I can't either." Yami blushed. "Well, uh...if...if you don't wake up in time for the tournament, I just want you to know that uh...I'm going to enter without you.  
  
"I really want to see how well my deck will do. I'll remember everything you taught me, including the heart of the cards! I've named it the Mahou deck (Magic deck) because my favorite card is the Black Magician. Oh wait, I shouldnt've told you that," Yami laughed. "I just gave away my deck strategy to you!"  
  
Yami froze, biting his soft lip. Seto didn't laugh with him...No matter how much he imagined, Seto couldn't really laugh with him. He was...in a coma. Yami teared up.  
  
"L-listen Seto," Yami's voice cracked. "Y-you have to get better, okay? You're my only real friend right now. I've been really lonely without you." The crimson-eyed boy clutched Seto's bed sheets. "I've been so depressed lately. I've even thought about...about suicide." Yami was crying by now, pouring out the sadness he'd pent up. "So...s-so...you have to get better! I can't live without you!" he exclaimed suddenly.  
  
Yami didn't realize the implications of what he'd just said. Instead, he put his hands on top of Seto's soft, motionless one. "Maybe you can hear me, or maybe you can't, but I want you to know that you've changed my life. You protected me when I was weak. You comforted me when I cried. That's more than any other friend of mine has done! I'd hate to lose you now, Seto! I still have to pay you back for everything you've done for me!" Drops of tears fell onto the white sheets.  
  
"Visiting hours are over sir. You have to leave," a nurse said behind him. Yami hadn't even noticed the time. Sighing, he turned back to the brunette.  
  
"Please get well soon...Seto," The crimson-eyed boy said softly, before whirling around in his wheelchair and leaving.  
  
~~~  
  
After that, Yami didn't visit again. But his spirits certainly lightened. After getting everything off his chest and seeing that Seto looked alright, he begun to socialize again. Mostly, he talked to Ryou about the tournament, and also with Ryou's new friend Malik, who kept giving hungry looks at the white-haired boy when he wasn't looking. The boy had transfered in from Egypt, but he spoke Japanese like a natural.  
  
"I'm going to get some milk. Please excuse me," Ryou said, walking toward the lunch line. Malik looked after him.  
  
"I see...you like him, ne?" Yami said, smiling at Malik.  
  
"Well, yeah..." Malik's eyes glazed over a bit.  
  
"He's available. I say you go for it," Yami urged. Ryou deserved a nice boyfriend. He was a good listener, but he never complained about anyone. Malik just nodded in response, still in lala land.  
  
~~~  
  
Yami waved goodbye to Ryou and Malik as they went their seperate ways. Yami had decided to go to a nearby lake. He liked the view. He was getting nervous about the tournament. The lake would help clear the crimson-eyed boy's unsettling feeling. The tension between duelists was still there, but he still hadn't told anyone. Tattling on the student bullies would just make everyone else more agitated.  
  
Rolling over, Yami stayed at the top of the overlooking hill. If he went foward anymore, he'd go plummeting into the water. Ouch. Sitting there, his eyes glazed over. The clear sky reflecting off the ocean...it looked like Seto's eyes...Yami was daydreaming again. But this time he was too dazed to stop now.  
  
He started envisioning Seto's haunting eyes. Then, the sharp features of the boy's face. He thought about the brunette hair framing the handsome face. His eyes travelled lower to the invisible Seto model. The long slender arms, the well-muscled chest and torso hidden under a black button- up shirt, and the long, graceful legs under a pair of long pants. Yami was just plain drooling by now. Oblivious to the time, he sat there with a rather goofy look on his face. However, he was also oblivious to the surroundings...  
  
Yami wasn't prepared for what was next. A guy grabbed him and threw him to the ground, taking off his uniform jacket. The disabled teen shook his head furiously out of his yummy thoughts. The assaulter searched through the uniform pockets, looking for any sign of rare cards or just a deck. Yami had been cautious about that. He'd started leaving his deck at home.  
  
"Where is it?! Where's your deck?!" the bully grabbed him by the shirt, violently shaking him.  
  
"I-I don't have it!" Yami shouted. He felt himself collide with the ground and vaguely heard a threat. Everything was going dark...the teen had hit his head pretty hard...  
  
~~~  
  
The leather-clad boy awoke slowly. Everything was starting to come into focus. He was still outside, where the angry teenager had left him. Turning over onto his stomach, the crimson-eyed boy look around. His eyes widened, realizing that his wheelchair was nowhere in sight.  
  
"I have..to get...home," Yami spoke weakly. It was night by now, and he was sure Jiichan was worried.  
  
That's when he saw it. In the lake, there was a wheel protruding out from the watery depths. A few feet away was the wheelchair handle, lying alone on the ground. The man had dismantled his wheelchair...Yami lay there in shock, not only could he not get up, but without his wheelchair, he was stuck here. Without his wheelchair...he couldn't go to the tournament, just like all those bullies wanted.  
  
Determined not to cry, the crimson-eyed teen realized that while his arms were pretty strong by now, he couldn't possibly lug himself all the way to the Game Shop. Maybe he could find a payphone. He started to drag himself to the exit, but he quickly tired.  
  
"Have to...make it..." Yami whispered. With one last hope, he wished for strength and stood on his one leg. The strain was immense, but Yami was holding himself up. Leaning on nearby trees for support, he slowly started to hop toward the exit.  
  
After falling over and getting back up several times, Yami's leg finally gave out on him, and he fell over, exhausted. The crimson-eyed boy cried this time. Why was he plagued with misfortune, why?! It'd be morning before someone found him! The night air was so chilly, it was piercing through Yami's skin and garments.  
  
Yami suddenly wished for Seto, his knight in shining armor. His guardian angel. But Seto wasn't here. He was in his own dilemma. But Yami couldn't make it on his own. Not like this. The night was becoming cooler. Yami was sure he'd freeze before someone found him. The tears started to pour harder out of his eyes.. He cursed himself for crying so much, but Yami really hated being alone...not to mention stranded and tired.  
  
His arms were scratched and bruised. His leg was tired and he had a small gash on his knee, despite having his uniform pants on. He lay down on the ground. He was exhausted. It was only late fall, but Yami wasn't sure if you could get hypothermia or not. But he desperately wanted to sleep. Waiting for what must've been two hours, his eyes drooped close. Well...death wouldn't be too bad, would it?  
  
"Wh-who's there?" Yami suddenly said weakly, his eyes opening slightly. He'd heard a rustle in the bushes. He lay there quietly, listening for footsteps. Not hearing anymore noise, he closed his eyes again. Maybe it was just a cat...  
  
A pair of strong arms hooked under his neck and knee. Yami's head lolled to the side for a moment as he was lifted up, before supporting itself. He slowly opened his eyes again. "......kimi wa tenshi ka?" (are you an angel?) Yami asked, still not seeing clearly, not to mention the sky was dark.  
  
"Shinku...(crimson)," a voice said softly, sounding concerned. He...he knew that voice...  
  
"Se...to?" Desperately focusing his eyes, he saw them. A pair of blue ones staring straight back at him. They stared at each other for a moment. Suddenly, Yami reached up and wrapped his battered arms around Seto's neck. He pulled himself up and buried his head in the crook of the brunette's neck. Absentmindedly, he noted that his face fit in perfectly like a puzzle.  
  
"I-I missed you so much," Yami sobbed. A hand ran through his spiky, yet soft, hair.  
  
"You had me worried. I went to the Game Shop a couple hours ago and your grandfather said you weren't there. We've all been looking for you," Seto replied. Yami cried harder. He didn't care about his condition anymore. He just wanted to go home...with Seto.  
  
"Shhhhh..." the brunette whispered in his ear. The crimson-eyed teen stopped crying at his voice.  
  
"I'm tired, Seto," Yami whispered. Feeling a wave of sleepiness wash over him, as well as knowing everything was going to be fine, he drifted of to sleep in the brunette's arms.  
  
Seto gave a small smile and walked him home.  
  
A/N: *imitates* "Finally, we continue to encourage everyone to use the "report abuse" feature, right below reviews, to help alert the staff of entries violating our content guidelines. As a reminder, we only allow the archiving of G through R rated content. Anything higher is not allowed and will warrant the immediate removal of the offending writer's account." *snorts* they're joking right? That's the stupidest thing I've heard today. I mean, who's going to turn in someone who writes well?! Even if it is hentai. Offending writer...phe...and exactly WHO made them offending writers? Oh yeah, that's right. FF.NET made them "offending writers" by TAKING OFF the NC-17 rating because somebody was too dumb to know that they were UNDER 17 and then complained about reading "disturbing things." Geez...trying to antagonize what they themselves made the antagonist...that's not right. If that's the way it's going to be, I should just post idea C on my website. There's gotta be another great fanfiction site out there....  
  
Oh yeah, this chapter may be short again. I kinda wanted to cut to the chase (plus poor Yami-san was suffering so much, ne?) 


	8. Smile

Pikazoom: Got bad news. I'm out of writing inspiration. I... 1) Am having a slight loss in interest of Yu-gi-oh 2) Having writers block  
  
I think a main reason I wrote so much was becaused I was depressed, but now, I think I feel better. I'll try to keep on writing and hopefully finish, but I'm not sure if it'll be up to standard.  
  
NOTE: WAHA! I just found a plothole! *falls in* I know Yami was supposed to get his cast off, but he couldn't have been walking like he'd been in the last chapter with his casts. So, pretend they're off. -_-;;;  
  
Crippled Chapter 8: Smile  
  
"Yamiiiiiiiiii!!!!" Yugi cried, running up to the tall brunette holding his older brother. "Is he okay?" Yugi asked, tears running down his face. Jiichan had told Yugi that the police would take over the search and it was getting late, but he still had dragged the poor sibling home.  
  
"He's sleeping," Seto replied. As if on cue, Yami yawned and swiped at his eyes like a kitten.  
  
"Mmmmm...hm?" he said, making confused noises, taking in his surroundings. Gazing up, the crimson-eyed boy looked up into Seto's deep blue eyes. They stared for a few seconds. He blushed. "I...uhhh...hi," Yami looked away, terribly embarassed, and saw Yugi and Jiichan standing there with relief in their eyes. "Yugi! Jiichan!" he shouted happily.  
  
Seto lowered him down onto one of the Game Shop's counters. Yugi practically tackled his elder sibling off the surface. "I w-w-was w- worried a-about yoouuuuuuuuu!" Yugi sobbed, glomping Yami.  
  
"There, there, Yugi," Jiichan said, patting the younger boy on the shoulder. "It's okay now, but we should probably take care of his injuries first." Yugi pulled back and nodded.  
  
"Okay. I'll get the first aid kit." Yugi turned and ran up the stairs, heading for the bathroom.  
  
"Is there anything you need, Yami?" the concerned elder said, turning back to his said grandson.  
  
"I think I'm fine, Jiichan," the crimson-eyed boy responded. Suddenly, a large rumble came from the pit of his stomach. "Okay," Yami admitted sheepishly. "Maybe a little hungry..."  
  
Jiichan nodded. "I'll make you something to eat," and he walked straight into the kitchen.  
  
Yami sat there, twiddling his fingers. He was there...with Seto...all alone. "So uh...when did you wake up?" the crimson-eyed boy thought out loud.  
  
"Around noon-time. I was all checked out by five, so I went over to the Game Shop and waited for you. After awhile, we all got worried and went looking for you," Seto said, brushing his hand through Yami's surprisingly soft spikes at his last sentence.  
  
"....I'm sorry...." Yami apologized guiltily. Gazing up, he finally got a clearer look at Seto. White bandages protruded from brunette bangs. Apparently, his gash was still healing. Everything else was in check, though...the dark blue eyes, the tall yet lean figure, and anything else Yami's mind came up with.  
  
"Shhh...It's not your fault. Now, what happened?" Seto inquiried.  
  
"..." The crimson-eyed teen looked away. "I...got beat up, that's all."  
  
The brunette raised an eyebrow. He moved closer to Yami slowly, then suddenly pinned him down on the Game Shop counter. (muahahahahahaha..)  
  
"Na-nani?" Yami hissed. Seto didn't reply but proceeded to lift up his shirt. "W-wait!" the smaller teen exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"Nothing, huh? Then what's all this?" Cobalt eyes raked over fresh and old bruises as well as sealed cuts along their best friend's torso.  
  
"Okay, I got beat up a lot," Yami confessed.  
  
"Why?" The crimson-eyed boy sat up and pulled his shirt back down.  
  
"N-no reason in particular," the smaller teen studdered. "Probably just cause I'm vulnerable like this..." Yami didn't want Seto to feel guilty knowing that it was partially his fault that he was like this. By being supposedly trained by an elite duelist, everyone else wanted him out to better their chances.  
  
No one ever dared go after Seto/Ryu, though. It was a wonder why, but Yami read that a duelist attacked him after losing, and Seto chucked him over a wall. That was the only conclusion he could think of.  
  
"There's a better reason than that." Azure eyes seeped into his soul. Recieving crimson ones looked away. Seto's eyes could see past barriers...into the human psyche...he'd find out the real reason soon. "...this wouldn't have anything to do with the DM tournament, would it?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"I have the bandages!" Yugi shouted, running down the stairs and barreling toward his elder brother.  
  
Seto took the first aid kit from him. "Your jiichan's in making food for Yami. I'll patch him up...I get lots of practice with Mokuba. Why don't you go help your jiichan?" Yugi nodded and ran away.  
  
Silence fell over the two teens. Azure eyes focused on tightly wrapping white strips around Yami's damaged arms. The shorter boy shivered at the soft hands enveloping his senses. It was an almost ghostlike touch. He anticipated what Seto would say next.  
  
"...tell me the truth, Yami," Seto said suddenly, looking up into the said teen's eyes. "Why were they picking on you?"  
  
".........It's because...It's cause....I'm dueling in the tournament...and people want a better chance at winning..." Yami said, looking down. "They think.I'll be some kind of -I dunno- dueling prodigy." How would Seto take it? Surely, he'd figure out why he was a prime target.  
  
Seto lifted Yami's chin. "Listen..." Seto said sternly. "Don't listen to them, okay? I swear, if any one of them touches you, I'll make sure they pay."  
  
Yami's face became impossibly redder. Did he just sound...possesive? "Seto...I..." And they just stared.  
  
Seto suddenly spun around to hide what appeared to be embarassment. He had probably noticed his commanding tone of voice as well.  
  
They sat there for awhile, looking at anything but each other. How hard was it to make dinner, darnit?! It was an uncomfortable silence.  
  
"What did...you call me in the woods back there?" Yami asked, finally turning around to Seto.  
  
"...Shinku...just a...nickname I thought up for you," Seto replied. Another uncomfortable pause. "I think...I should go. It's late. Well, good night, Yami."  
  
"Night...oh, wait!" Yami stopped him. Seto opened the door and the wind blowing his hair around as he looked back at Yami made him look ethereal...or strikingly handsome. "How am I going to get to the tournament? It's only..." Yami counted on his fingers. "Two days away...my wheelchair's gone."  
  
The brunette watched him for a moment. He looked thoughtful, then said, "...your casts are off." (Read note at top!)  
  
Yami blinked in surprise. "Yeah, they are. Just recently. Why?"  
  
Seto shook his head in response. "Nothing. Good night, Yami." With a secretive smile, he turned and left for home.  
  
Yami raised his eyebrows. What was Seto up to?  
  
A/N: Muahahahahahahaha...I'm into this now!  
  
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! 


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